Jared Leto Teases a Reference to The Killing Joke in Suicide Squad

The Killing Joke is coming in full force to DC Comics' film adaptations, as there is about to be an animated film based on the graphic novel, starring none other than Mark Hamill. But if early teases for Suicide Squad are any indication, The Killing Joke may be coming to live action in some capacity, as Jared Leto has just revealed another tease that implies a Killing Joke-esque origin story for the Joker:

In this Instagram post, Leto's silhouette reveals that he is wearing a hat very similar to the one worn by the Joker in The Killing Joke:

On its own, this hint isn't all that compelling, as it could just be an Easter egg for DC Comics fans. But this isn't the first time the classic novel has been referenced in relation to Suicide Squad, as director David Ayer first revealed Jared Leto's Joker with a recreation of the iconic cover:

The Killing Joke is a graphic novel, written by comics legend Alan Moore, which explores a more sympathetic origin story for the Joker, even as it portrays him performing particularly despicable acts. In the backstory, he was trying to support his pregnant wife when he got drawn into a criminal conspiracy at a plant called Ace Chemicals, which culminated in his jumping into a vat of chemicals to escape Batman and permanently disfiguring himself. He then tries to morally corrupt Commissioner Gordon by abducting, sexually assaulting, and paralyzing his daughter, Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl, in a fairly blatant "fridging" storyline that has become more controversial over the years.

Heath Ledger's Joker in the Dark Knight series has become classic in its own right, and may have been inspired by The Killing Joke to some extent, but Nolan purposefully kept his origin story mysterious. David Ayer may be trying to differentiate Jared Leto's Joker by telling fans in no uncertain terms that this is the Killing Joke Joker, origin story and all, especially since Ace Chemicals was recently confirmed to appear in Suicide Squad.